Rockay Accelerate Performance Socks: first impressions
First, a little background on the brand behind Rockay Accelerate Performance Socks (available direct from Rockay). Founded in 2018 by Danish ultrarunner Daniel Chabert, Rockay is a brand that specializes in creating sustainable running socks, sleeves and accessories made with recycled materials, including Econyl, a yarn made completely from rescued ocean and landfill waste, including industrial plastic, ghost nets, fabric scraps and old carpets.
• List price: £17 (UK) / €18 (EU)
• Gender specificity: Unisex
• Sizes: S-XXL
• Materials: Econyl regenerated nylon (50%), recycled polyamide (46%), recycled elastane (4%)
• Length: Ankle
• Colors: Dolphin Blue & Orange / Navy & Blue / Neon & Orange / Light Gray & Blue / Light Gray & Papaya / Black & Lime / Black & Red / Ecowhite
• Compatibility: Road, trail and mixed-terrain running, plus summer walking and general use
Unlike many brands, which use a small percentage of such content and then claim products are eco-friendly, almost 100% of Rockay’s socks are made from recycled fabrics, and I really love this. According to Chabert’s vision when he set up the company, the gear is also ethically made in Europe (discover more of our favorite eco-friendly running brands).
A common problem with socks made with synthetics is the buildup of bad smells over time, but the Accelerates are impregnated with Polygiene, an antimicrobial treatment that combats stink. These socks also boast a reflective logo on heel tab, which makes you more visible (and safer) when you’re running on lanes and roads shared with vehicles. They even come with a blister-free guarantee – if you get a blister while wearing the Accelerates, Rockay will send you a new pair or refund your purchase (discover more ways to say goodbye to blisters while running).
So far so good, but to find out whether the Rockay Accelerates perform well enough to be included in our round up of the best running socks available, I have spent several weeks putting them to the test.
Rockay Accelerate Performance Socks: on the trails
I’m happy to report that Rockay back up their ethical and eco-friendly manufacturing approach by producing seriously good, technically advanced gear. Available in a veritable rainbow of good-looking color combinations, and seemingly built to last, the Accelerate ankle socks instantly felt very supportive when I put them on, and this continued when I was out running on roads and trails.
Each pair of the Accelerates comes with left and right specific socks, designated by an “L” and “R” discreetly positioned beneath the little toe (so discreetly, in fact, that I completely missed them the first few times I wore these socks…). Once you do spot these letters and start wearing the socks correctly, it becomes very apparent that the design is genuinely zone-mapped to each foot, which tangibly improves the level of support they offer to areas such as the insteps and arches.
In addition to the support, high-impact areas such as the heels and toes have extra padding to improve comfort and cushioning, and technical mesh is used on areas that suffer less stress (such as the top of the foot) to aid breathability and ventilation.
One of the things I really love about these socks is the reflective logo on the heel tab – this is a simple but very smart addition that helps runners stay visible to motorized traffic when they’re using lanes and roads on murky mornings and dark evenings – something I often find myself doing as I juggle jogging outings with work, especially when days begin getting shorter.
They are short, by design, so don’t offer any protection from stinging or prickly plants, or ticks, but there are plenty of longer options in the Rockay sock range if this is a concern.
The build quality on the Rockay Accelerates feels very robust, and I expect these socks to last the distance, but if they start to fail (or if the stink-busting claims turn out to be bogus) I will report back after putting some more sweaty miles in. For the moment, I’m seriously impressed with these little socks.
